honestbee is Asia’s leading and trusted online concierge and delivery service. We add value to our customers’ lives by bringing them convenience. Quality is paramount to us. Our dedicated team of trained shoppers and speedy delivery bees work hard to bring the best products to our customers.

… doing our best to serve you better

Just like when you are shopping for yourself, some products may inevitably run out of stock for the day. We do our best to work closely with our partners to resolve this challenge, and we seek to provide the best replacement suggestions to our customers.

… doing our best to provide value

honestbee is a social impact business and we are committed to providing value to our bees in meaningful ways. This comes in different forms, including flexible work opportunities and fair compensation, as well as performance incentives based on demand and availability.

… doing our best to be transparent

Our compensation structure is simple and transparent. On average, a bee’s compensation is higher than the $7.00 per hour benchmark for standard part-time work. Every bee gets a variable hourly performance incentive. This resulted in 86% of our bees earning an average hourly compensation higher than the industry average.

… doing our best for our bees

We will continue to do our best to evaluate our compensation scheme regularly based on order volume, efficiency, and delivery costs. Our pay structure aims to strike a balance between rewarding the bees fairly, delighting our customers, and building a sustainable business.

Eat better – direct from the farm

Ever wonder why some foods just taste better than others? Your eyes may only see what lies on the surface of a rosy apple or a sprightly stalk, but there are a lot more nutrients in every fruit and vegetable that is grown fresh and delivered direct to you – from farm to table.

Fresher from source, better in nutrition

Locally grown or directly imported produce do not have to travel long distances to reach consumers, so they can picked at optimum ripeness. Hence, they are able to fully develop and retain rich vitamins and minerals, and thus maximise their nutritional potential.

More value in every bite

The buck doesn’t stop at health benefits alone. The direct effect of buying straight from the source also means more savings – up to 30% as a matter of fact. How? Well, you won’t have to pay additional distribution, collecting, sorting and packing fees now!

Exotic varieties for adventurous palates

Your local supermarket may carry all the usual varieties of fruit, but if you’re looking for something healthier and more exciting, you’re more likely to find it at our Farm to Table stores. Choose from fresh herbs and spices like sage or thyme, to South Africa Abate Fetel (a kind of pear), locally grown kale and more.

Directions

Looking for farm fresh ingredients?

Shop now at our Farm to Table stores, curated to deliver all the goodness of the fruits and veggies you love – directly to you. Enjoy direct savings of as much as 30%*, greater selections, from regular to exotic produce, and more freshness straight from the suppliers to you.

When it comes to diversity in tech, #TheStruggleIsReal. In an industry dominated by males spotting a couple of stereotypes, industry-leading organisations are calling for a larger focus on diversity and multiculturalism. Where recruiting any top talent has proved to be a major challenge any start-up founders would face, diversity has proved to be needful.

Facebook hired Maxine Williams as its global director of diversity in 2013. One of her most notable efforts was overhauling the Managing Bias training course to help individuals understand their possible biasness. Through real-world examples, employees were taught to work on pre-emptive solutions. Google, the first tech giant to publicly release its diversity numbers, has also pledged to “unite this dialogue around diversity in the tech industry”, its director of diversity and inclusion Yolanda Mangolini said.

You might be thinking, “Why the hoo-hah over diversity and multiculturalism? We are a small team and not all tech companies have access to resources like Facebook and Google.” You might also be thinking, “How can a small startup foster an environment conducive for minorities?” For us at honestbee, it starts with respect. Our experience in having a diverse team also bought about a positive impact on our business and the culture we are building. Here are some tips on how you can build a team that is diverse and multicultural based on our experience.

Respect Different Perspectives Diversity Brings

Working with a team of individuals from different backgrounds, culture and education is great. This means that a broader range of insights and ideas will be brought to the table. For the team to work efficiently together though, mutual respect is key.

It is important that team members keep an open mind and open communication channel. Remember, different departments have to work together quite closely. It’s best that the working relationship is kept at optimum to be able to solve things more creatively as a team.

Integrating People from Different Backgrounds into the Local Culture

Starting a new job is difficult enough, let alone starting a new job in a new city and a new culture. You can imagine how nerve-wrecking or frustrating it must be when you step into an office where no one understands you. Think about this: no one knows what you’re saying and what you’re trying to achieve.

Here at honestbee, our social committee ensures that team members integrate well with each other. We encourage informal engagement sessions during lunch or after work so as to learn more about each other. We also take them out during the weekends for them to experience the fun side of Singapore, such as cycling, paintball and soccer sessions. Just a few weekends ago, we even had a little tour at Gardens by the Bay for the new joiners!

Talent Scouting in Different Places

Instead of going to the same universities for new talents, honestbee works with different colleges. We strive for gender balance and having a global team. We also hold culture interviews to ensure that potential employees have aligned cultural beliefs.

To date, we have dedicated employees from 29 countries across the globe, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, France, Germany, Romania. Close to half of our employees are females.

Diversity and multiculturalism in tech is not a new conversation. It’s been talked about, and some companies have even been working on it for years. As a young company that’s barely a year old, we are definitely proud of our small gains. But at the same time, we are committed to improving and fostering a better work environment. Diversity brings so much more to our products and services. It adds so much colour, passion and nuances, which in return, benefits our customers.

We‘d be happy to engage in a diversity discussion. Hit us up if you want to speak!

Hint: Caffeine is not the brain’s best friend

Repeat after me: “Caffeine is not the best way to keep your brain awake.” Its effects are short term. Besides, an overdose will make you jittery and uncomfortable.

Norma Jean has it right – “if you were observing all the rules, you’d never have gotten anywhere”. Are you betting on “veteran advice” for the golden hours of drinking black coffee to stay productive? Or perhaps the “tried and tested” herbivore diet to reduce the chance of food coma after lunch? Stop. You would probably end up hungry by 3pm everyday and eating more instead. That’s simply because black coffee temporarily increases your metabolism when you don’t really have much to burn anyway.

Though everyone absorbs nutrients differently based on their own unique biochemical identity, here are five expert-approved superfoods that freshen your mind and boost brain power to keep you energised.

“In addition to their now well-known antioxidant effects, dietary supplementation with berry fruits have direct effects on the brain,” according to researcher Marshall Miller, of the USDA-ARS Human Nutrition Research Centre on Aging. The large amount of antioxidants protects brain cells from being damaged by harmful free radicals. It also changes the way your neurons communicate with each other to improve movement control and function.

Tomatoes are well-known for being warriors that fight against prostate cancer because of its lycopene and beta-carotene content. Did you know that lycopene is also strong enough to fight against free radical damage to cells which occurs in the development of dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s? Similarly, they are also good for the heart, the immune system, the skin and tissue lining… You know what, just eat tomatoes if you are not already doing so.

A study by researchers at King’s College London revealed that broccoli come high in lignans. It is a phytoestrogen compound that has been shown to benefit cognitive actions. If you have been experiencing short term memory, eating broccoli would be your express ticket out. In fact, broccoli is a superstar vegetable that not only tastes great, but is power-packed with essential vitamins, minerals and fibre.

“Avocados are almost as good as blueberries in promoting brain health,” says Steven Pratt, MD, author of Superfoods Rx: Fourteen Foods Proven to Change Your Life. Monounsaturated fat in Avocados are known to improve blood flow and lower blood pressure, promoting better brain health. If you have been rejecting Avocados because you think they are too fatty, now is the time to put them back on the grocery list.

Spinach was the superfood Popeye relied on to save Olive whenever she was in trouble. Little did he know that while growing his muscles, he was also improving his memory. Martha Clare Morris, Sc.D., assistant provost for community research at Rush University Medical Center and his team conducted a study to find out how adding greens to our diet could help slow cognitive decline. The study examined 954 older adults for an average of five years. Results show that participants who consumed greater amounts of green leafy vegetables such as Kale, Spinach and Mustard Greens had the cognitive ability of a person 11 years younger than those who consumed none.

Creating sustainable and flexible income opportunities

honestbee is an on-demand grocery concierge service. We match demand and supply in the delivery of groceries and household products. Our nimble and efficient business model enables Singaporeans from all walks of life to earn money on days and time slots that best suit their schedules.

We engage Singaporeans to take on both shopping and delivery tasks. Since launching in July 2015, honestbee has engaged over a thousand Shopper Bees (as they are affectionately known) in Singapore and our workforce continues to grow each week.

Complete a quiz and attend a training session to become a Shopper Bee

honestbee is growing quickly and we hope to double the number of Bees registered with us by the end of this year. We are actively working with WDA, the CDCs and various social enterprises to offer career opportunities to job-seekers.

Shopper Bees should fulfil the following requirements:

Singapore Citizen or PR

at least 18 years of age

use an iOS or Android smartphone

able to lift up to 10kg

Signing up is quick and easy – eligible applicants can simply log on to honestbee.com/become-a-bee to complete a simple quiz. Successful applicants will attend a training at the honestbee office to learn more about the role and to be equipped with the necessary skills to be a concierge shopper.

Earn up to $14 an hour as a Shopper Bee

As our business is built around an on-demand model, compensation offered to Shopper Bees is similarly dependent on demand and available supply. The Bee compensation structure is simple and transparent, and we communicate this to shoppers on a regular basis. The prevailing basic pay is $5.00 per hour with an incentive of $0.20 for each line item picked correctly. Shopper Bees who are able to handpick up to 45 items an hour (around 80 seconds to locate and pick each item), will earn $9.00 in incentives, and a total of $14.00 on an hourly basis. This is significantly higher than the typical part-time wage of $7.00 per hour in similar industries.

The life of a Bee

Here’s what some of our Shopper Bees are saying about their experience so far:

“I love being a Bee because it keeps me connected with the community when I help customers to shop! Being a bee also widens my knowledge on products, some of which I didn’t even know existed. It improves my multitasking skills, ability to work fast without making mistakes and to stay calm under pressure.”

“As a new Shopper Bee on the honestbee team, the experience has been very fun and enjoyable. The job offers a good balance of pace and increases your grocery shopping skills to a whole new level. The honestbee shopper team is warm and welcoming and from all walks of life. Imagine working with a team of friends! This simple routine of shopping for groceries has made me more service-conscious and more task-oriented.”

Broader opportunities with honestbee

honestbee constantly aims to increase the productivity of our Bees by innovating and leveraging technology. Improvements to our technology enable us to better match supply and demand, as well as help our Bees pick faster and more accurately. This increase in productivity enables our Bees to consistently earn more money.

We also provide guidance and encouragement to our Shopper Bees through our app, which enables them to build skills and be better equipped to perform their roles. Shoppers who perform well are then given the opportunity to take on more responsibilities and earn higher hourly compensation.

On top of offering on-demand work opportunities, honestbee strives to identify talent within our pool of Bees. Shoppers who consistently show excellent performance have been identified and invited to join our company on a full-time basis as supervisors or coordinators, or even other available roles within our company.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Why not #GiveMumTime to relax with a special homemade surprise?

Show her how much you love her with handcrafted meals all day, prepared with your loving touch. Ground rule: She isn’t allowed in the kitchen!

Start mum’s day with love

Turn a regular breakfast that she would make for you into a dish made just for her – with your very own creative touch.

Mummy Muffins

Mummy Muffins

Toss to mum’s health and happiness

Convey your appreciation and well wishes with a zesty lunch time salad that contains bits of wholesome goodness in every bite.

Thank Q-uinoa Salad

Thank Q-uinoa Salad

Celebrate mum with a baked creation

Share a slice of home-baked cheesecake heaven together, over your favourite tea or coffee in the comfort of home.

Say Baked Cheese, Mum

Say Baked Cheese, Mum Recipe

Serve mum a savoury treat

Impress her with your hidden culinary skills by cooking this presentable, delectable sirloin meal, complemented with a tantalising selection of dips.

Seared with Love

Seared with Love

Need ingredients?

Get fine cuts from our gourmet partners like Mmmm! or Butcher’s Dog, or source for other items from Cold Storage or Fairprice. Order early to get your Mother’s Day groceries delivered conveniently on the same day, within your selected 1-hour window. Shop now!

Ralph is young, outgoing, and enjoys an active lifestyle. He was looking for an exciting job that keeps him on his feet when his brother, an honestbee coordinator, suggested joining honestbee.

After completing National Service, Ralph applied for a job at honestbee as a Shopper Bee and Delivery Bee. Today, Ralph is a Supervisor and all-round Superbee. He’s best known around the honestbee headquarters for riding his kitted out e-bike to the office, and for his energetic and positive vibes, which we all adore.

We caught up with Ralph to find out more about his honestbee experience.

Tell us about your honestbee experience

Joining honestbee has given me the opportunity to learn, progress and contribute to the organisation. I love working in an ever-changing and dynamic environment. It’s challenging and there’s a constant stream of work to be done.

“In a startup, you’re a part of something much greater. Your contribution makes a real difference. The excitement is wonderfully overwhelming.”

Being a part of honestbee is just like creating a community and making new friends along the way. We are a growing family that is making something out of nothing, working with people who are here for the same reasons as you are.

And that’s a great thing to be a part of.

Why did you become a Superbee?

Well, I was curious about the logistics business and I wanted to learn more about it. In order to do that, I tried my hand at several roles, which form the honestbee logistics network. My nickname is Superbee because I’ve experienced being a Shopper, e-bike Deliverer, and Supervisor.

I’m the only Bee who uses an e-bike to deliver orders to customers (for now), and I enjoy it as it keeps the wind in my hair while I work. And I feel super satisfied when I see the smile on a customer’s face when they receive their order.

What is your typical day like?

9am – 1pm… I collect the e-bike from the office and cycle to the stores and fetch orders. I also check on the concierge shoppers to see if they need any help with shopping, checking out of items, and packing.

1pm – 2pm... Thanks to the flexibility of the job, I can visit my mother at lunchtime and bring her something interesting to eat and spend some time with her.

2pm – 3pm… In the afternoon, I usually ride my e-bike and hand out flyers. Or spend time with shoppers and supervisors and guide them through any challenges they are facing.

3pm – 5pm… This is the busiest time of the day after the late morning rush. When a live order pops up on my phone, I’ll ride my e-bike to visit the respective stores and collect the items to be delivered to customers. How fast can I get from store to customer’s door? I’m very fast *puts helmet on*.